Chapter 555

Jasmine gently rested her hand on her belly. She really wanted to share the news with Joshua and Shermaine, but they had completely cut off contact. That thought left her a little sad, though the excitement of her pregnancy quickly washed most of that loneliness away.

While the doctor went over all the precautions with them, he eventually got to the topic of intimacy. “No sex for the first three months. After that, you can do it, but nothing too rough. You need to be careful.”

Hearing that, Damien finally relaxed a little, the tension in his furrowed brows easing.

Jasmine noticed his reaction right away and thought, ‘This cold, usually unreadable man would only soften up slightly when he’s comforting me. I’ve never seen him visibly let out a sigh of relief like this.

‘Unbelievable. Even now, when I’m pregnant, that’s all he thinks about. I knew he just wanted to sleep with me all along.’

The thoughts made her pout so hard that she looked like an angry little pufferfish.

After finishing his long list of instructions, the doctor added reassuringly that premature births were almost unheard of in the Kingdom of Xyperia unless someone chose to give up on their baby. Finally, he said, “Mr. and Mrs. Hale, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

“Thank you, Dr. Foyet,” Jasmine and Damien said in unison.

After seeing the doctor out, Damien came back to find Jasmine glaring at him, her cheeks puffed out in a dramatic huff. Confused, he climbed into bed beside her, his voice gentle as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I need to set some ground rules,” Jasmine declared firmly.

Damien blinked. “Ground rules?” After a moment, he asked, “What ground rules?”

Clutching the blanket tightly, she said, “Once we hit the three-month mark, you’re not allowed to touch me. And you’re definitely not allowed to sleep with other women either.”

Jasmine thought, ‘For someone who can’t get enough of me, I need to let him experience the true torment of abstinence.’

Damien, of course, had never even considered being with another woman. But hearing her rules, he couldn’t help frowning again. He stared at her as he narrowed his eyes slightly. “Are you serious?”

“Of course I’m serious,” Jasmine shot back, glaring at him with conviction.

“Fine. Let’s sleep,” Damien said, his expression unchanged.

Jasmine froze, thinking, ‘Huh? This isn’t what I pictured at all. Shouldn’t he be fighting me on this? Why is he so calm?’

She rolled it over in her mind again and again. ‘He must be playing hard to get. Whatever. When it comes down to it, he’ll definitely be the first to cave in.’

But three months later, to Jasmine’s shock, she was the one who had to eat her own words.

At Jean Villa, in response to his grandson’s question, Owen replied, “At your age, you’re still working around the clock like a machine? You need something to keep your strength up.”

‘At my age?’ That one really hit Joshua where it hurt.

So be it. The age gap between him and Shermaine had always been a quiet sore spot in his heart. But regrets aside, he’d long accepted it. In her prime years, he’d offered her the most steady, mature love he had.

Joshua arched a brow. “Then why exactly is it a… bone broth?”

Sipping her chicken soup, Shermaine beamed with amusement, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she wondered how Owen would respond.

“Sheary, cover your ears for this,” Owen said.

Shermaine smiled and said, “I’m good, Grandpa. I can handle it.”

Owen gave a dramatic sigh and delivered his line like it was the punchline of a joke. “It’s to make sure your nighttime activities with Sheary remain… a great experience for both of you,” he said, dead serious.

Then he added, “Staying up all night weakens a man, you know. Don’t be the exception.”

Joshua said flatly, “Grandpa, you really don’t need to worry about that. Even if I stay up for days, I’ll still do just fine.”

Owen completely ignored his protests and urged, “Hurry up and finish that tonic. Not a single drop can be left, you hear me?”

Joshua let out a resigned sigh. In the end, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and sit down, forced to go along just to keep his grandfather happy.

As soon as he sat next to Shermaine, he immediately picked up a faint metallic scent. “Weren’t you at Basterel University today? Why do you smell like blood?”

“It’s not mine,” Shermaine answered casually. Then, she went on. “I ran into someone who clearly had it out for me. He even tried to destroy my statue. I called security, but after that, he turned around and tried to kill me.

“And the worst part is he’s carrying that old virus from Horington, and it looks like he can control when to activate it.”

Joshua’s gaze turned sharp. “Did you get him?”

Shermaine said, “Nope. I let him run so he can enjoy a few more days while he can.”

The truth was, she didn’t really feel like chasing him down. With the campus speed limits and so many students around, it just wasn’t worth the hassle. And honestly, she was more interested in getting back home to enjoy some chicken soup.

Besides, the guy had only just started to show his true colors. She wanted to watch him for a few days and find out what exactly he was trying to accomplish by turning himself into such a monster.

Anyway, the moment he tried to cause trouble again, her Orthish would notify her right away.

While Joshua and Shermaine chatted, Janice and Owen stayed out of it. Meanwhile, over on the sofa, little Gracie, who was just five months old, was already crawling around.

She scurried back and forth, full of energy and mischief, completely stealing the spotlight. The two elders watched her with absolute delight, their faces glowing with pride.

Normally, most babies didn’t start crawling until they were around nine months old. But Gracie was already on the move at just five months old. To the elders, that meant she was one smart cookie.

Owen chuckled, “I remember Joshua didn’t start crawling until he was six months old.”

Janice nodded. “Sheary started crawling when she was about five months old, too.”

Eventually, Gracie got tired and flopped down on the sofa to rest. A moment later, to everyone’s surprise, she even managed to roll over on her own. It was almost too cute for words.

After lunch, Joshua and Shermaine took a leisurely stroll in the backyard. After their stroll, he roped Shermaine into joining him for an afternoon nap.

Five days flew by in the blink of an eye. Joshua had been swamped with work, with company matters still unresolved, so they decided to keep their return under wraps for now.

Chapter 555

Meanwhile, Shermaine decided to take a two-day trip to Maple Leaf Ville for a little break. The moment Owen heard she was going to the countryside, he immediately started packing, determined to tag along.

Janice felt the same way about it, thinking it would be tough on Shermaine to take care of Gracie on her own. Hence, she decided to tag along to help Shermaine out, and maybe even enjoy a little getaway herself.

Over the past two years, whenever her friends invited her out, Janice never felt up to it. With Shermaine gone, she just hadn’t been in the mood for anything.

Before they left, Shermaine put on a brand-new disguise to visit Danielle at the hospital. This time, she wasn’t a brown-haired beauty. She had red hair, light gray contacts, a hat, a shirt dress, knee-high boots, and a black mid-length puffer jacket layered on top.

Despite Shermaine’s disguise, Danielle still recognized her right away. She was still seeing patients but was almost done. Since Shermaine wasn’t in a hurry, she waited patiently inside.

When Danielle finally finished, she closed the door and turned to Shermaine. “Weren’t you about to head off to Maple Leaf Ville for a couple of days? Why’d you come here?”

Shermaine took out a necklace and handed it to Danielle. “This is a tracker. Wear it, and just tap the center diamond three times to activate it. Then, I can pinpoint your location.” Since her brother’s issue still hadn’t been resolved, Danielle’s safety remained a real concern.

Danielle frowned slightly. “What if the signal gets jammed? Will it still work?”

“The signal in this tracker is pretty unique,” Shermaine explained calmly. “There’s no jamming device or technology in the country that can block its connection to my Orthish.”

Danielle had seen Shermaine’s so-called Orthish before. It looked like a regular wristwatch, but in reality, it was an advanced AI-powered computer.

Apparently, it was the standard device for communication and internet access in the Kingdom of Xyperia. Of course, Shermaine had upgraded and modified hers, making it different from the standard one in quite a few ways.

“You’re the best, Sheary,” Danielle said with a happy grin as she picked up the necklace and put it around her neck. Once it was fastened, she announced, “All set!”

Shermaine nodded. “Come on. Let’s grab lunch together before I leave.”